Thursday, September 8, 2016

The most refreshing drink in Sicily is called "Acqua e Anice"

Do you know what Sicilian people used to drink in ancient times during the hot and muggySummers? It was simply called "acqua e zammù", literally water and zammù, sold from peddlers in the corners of the street or sometimes in typical kiosks. Zammù is a word that apparently has its origins in the Arab domination (IX° cent.) and comes from the word sambuca, a type of anisette that was distilled in Sicily to make aliquoer and then was probably replaced with star anice seeds.

Photo source: Tuttolionssicilia2013

My
grandma used to have this old picture framed and hung on the wall of
her living room. It shows a man, called the acquavitaro, preparing some water and zammù to a customer in a corner of the street.

I remember when I was a child we used to go to
visit her on a sunday afternoon and I always found mysef staring at that picture in
black and white with curiosity about some scene of the past that I wasn't able to recognize.

My grandma loved water and zammù, like the rest of the family. In 1813 the Tutone family continued the tradition of the zammù starting to sell the now called ANICE liquoer in a kiosk in Piazza Rivoluzione in Palermo, and we can say without any doubt that they are until today the undisputed ruler of this amazing product, as they have made it and sold it for more than two centuries now.

Here on the left you can see the typical bottle of the Anice Tutone as you will find it today in shops and markets. The star anice not only is incredibythirst-quenching, but it also helps digest, so it is perfect in the middle of the day as well as after a rich meal.

Its pecularity is the fact that after pouring four or five drops of this scented liquoer, the water assumes some kind of whitish color and if you don't mix it, it will stay at the top of the glass, just like the picture above shows.

Besides, nowadays you can buy candies flavored with star anice from the Tutone Company as well, and, in some gelaterias, you can also taste the lovely Anice ice-cream flavor among the many others, that trust me, when it's 38° or 40° degrees is going to be the highlight of yourday!

If you are interested in reading more about the Tutone Company clic here.And if you are just thirsty and dying to taste some "acqua e anice" well... you know what to do now! :-)